WEEEEEE! It's that time again. heh.
International Certification for the Quality and Sustainability of Marine Aquarium Organisms . from Reef to Retail
MAC News 2nd Quarter 2006
Director's Note
Why is there a need for international standards and certification for the marine aquarium trade?
Consider what governments around the world are doing and saying about marine ornamentals' collection and commerce:
· United States (US): The US Coral Reef Task Force adopted a major new resolution addressing the collection of marine ornamentals using cyanide and other poisons. The US government is investigating how to better document the level of ornamental fish imports, with initial results suggesting the trade is two times larger than estimated.
In 2005, the US House Bill 3469 sought to prohibit the importation of any coral reef species that were not collected in accordance with a qualified scientifically-based management plan.
In 2004, the US Commission on Ocean Policy report recommended to the President and the Congress regulations requiring sustainable collection of imported reef species and controls to prevent the release of non-native species.
· Europe: The European Union (EU) continues to suspend from trade the Indonesian supply of several coral species and is considering new monitoring and reporting requirements for many heavily traded fish species.
In April 2006, the EU suspended the import of most species of giant clam from many Asia-Pacific export countries and suspended the import of many species of coral from Indonesia, as well as some species of coral from Tonga and the Solomon Islands.
· Philippines: Many local governments, which have responsibility for aquarium fisheries, have banned harvesting of marine ornamentals or have banned the use of compressors.
· Indonesia: The government decreased the CITES quota for coral export species in 2002 and again for some additional species in 2005.
· Fiji: The government revised the CITES quota for coral exports in recent years.
· United Nations (UN): The synthesis report of the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment states: "Coral reefs are at high risk from many kinds of human activity, including destructive fishing (for example: use of cyanide to stun and capture fish.), collecting for the marine ornamental trade,."
Responsible industry operators may want to distinguish themselves as those who use best practices and support the management of marine ornamentals stocks and the conservation of coral reefs for sustainable use. MAC Certification provides the means to do so.
COMMUNICATIONS and OUTREACH
Special Interzoo Activities
At Interzoo, the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) organized gatherings on MAC Certification, with the support of Aquarium Systems and the Interzoo organizer- Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe (ZZF) Deutschlands e.V. The seminar on the "Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) Certification: Quality Marine Ornamentals from Sustainable, Responsible Sources" was designed for companies which had signed the MAC 'Statement of Commitment and Support' and for the ones that were actively interested in understanding more about MAC Certification. The seminar attracted interest from a range of companies.
A meeting of the "Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) International Certified Industry Group Forum" brought together MAC Certified companies from around the world (Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore and the UK) that were present at Interzoo. This meeting provided these Certified companies the chance to meet with each other, some for the first time, and to raise issues, opportunities and ideas on areas for improvement in MAC Certification and increasing the interaction among MAC Certified companies.
MAC presence at Interzoo also provided the opportunity for MAC to meet press representatives with whom MAC has developed collaboration in Europe and the USA.
The MAC Public Aquarium Declaration of Support Available in French
Public aquariums, museums and zoos are one of the important stakeholders in the work to ensure that the marine ornamentals trade is sustainable and responsible. In response to the interest expressed by public aquariums to improve their support for MAC Certification, the 'MAC Public Aquarium Declaration of Support' was developed. Several institutions have already signed it, as the Zoological Society of London has recently done.
This form is now available in French for institutions to state publicly their support toward MAC and its programs. To receive a copy of this form, please contact Nathalie Gamain at: [email protected].
EUROPEAN UPDATE
The First MAC Exhibit at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco
As part of the World Ocean Day's celebration (June 8), the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco focused its special activities on the sustainable management of the reefs through a responsible marine ornamental trade and responsible practices. Among the speakers, MAC gave a presentation about the transformation of the marine ornamental trade. The audience was particularly interested by the projection of the movie about "Transforming the Aquarium Trade with the Industry for Ecological Sustainability" in Indonesia, made in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indonesia.
The Oceanographic Museum has always been dedicated to conservation, education and research programs, in particular about corals, with its first living reef exhibit inaugurated in 1989. Encouraging MAC and its programs, the Museum provided MAC the opportunity to launch its first exhibit on June 8 (World Ocean Day). Through this exhibit, visitors can learn more about the marine ornamental trade and the progress MAC, with the rest of the industry, is making to reach a sustainable management of the reefs through best practices and a responsible trade. It is composed of six (6) large panels. This exhibit has been made possible through the generous support of one of the Museum's print companies, MS2.
MAC Celebrates the Week of the Environment in Monaco
From June 5th to June 11th, Monaco celebrated the week of the Sustainable Management and of the Environment, with the World Ocean Day on June 8.
The non governmental organization, Act for Nature, with its local partner, the Stars N Bars, organized several activities on the Monaco harbor. In collaboration with the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, and the association Acroporis, MAC participated in the booth dedicated to the "ocean's sustainable management". The week's events raised the awareness of the school groups and other visitors about the ocean issues, with a focus on coral reefs, through MAC, Acroporis and the Oceanographic Museum presentations. As members of the World Ocean Network, the three organizations distributed the World Ocean Passport to the participants as well.
NORTH AMERICA UPDATE
Increasing Supply of MAC Certified Organisms Imported to North America
North American MAC Certified importers are receiving a greater variety of MAC Certified organisms than ever before. As the number of Certified supply lines increases, more and often highly desirable species are becoming available. For the first time, species such as Emperor Angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator) and Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) are now being offered for sale to hobbyists as MAC Certified. As of July 2006, MAC Certified fish are available at, or have been ordered by, all MAC Certified retailers in the US.
MAC Presence at North American Pet Industry Trade Shows
John Brandt, North America Director, attended two major trade shows with the MAC exhibit booth. Many retailers showed interest in becoming MAC Certified at the Global Pet Expo in San Diego, CA (March 23-25) and at the Backer Spring Trade Show in Atlantic City, NJ (April 7-9).
International Marine Aquarium Conference (IMAC) and MAC
MAC Communications Director, Nathalie Gamain, and North America Director, John Brandt, attended the International Marine Aquarium Conference (IMAC) in Chicago, IL (April 28-30). IMAC is an annual three-day conference offering lectures, workshops and special events. Many retailers visited the MAC exhibit booth to express their interest in becoming MAC Certified.
MAC at the United States Coral Reef Task Force Meeting
The United States Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) held its 15th meeting in Washington, DC on May 4th. The MAC North America Director was in attendance with the MAC exhibit booth. The Task Force adopted a significant new resolution addressing the collection of marine ornamentals using cyanide and other poisons. This resolution sets forth actions designed to identify and develop a usable detection test for cyanide in fishes and also for the development of improved methods of enforcing laws against the use of poisons.
Reports and summaries from the meeting are available at: http://www.coralreef.gov/taskforce/meetings/meet8.html. This webpage also includes the new resolution and a Public Comment by MAC to the Task Force.
INDONESIA UPDATE
Meeting of Bali-Based Exporters
On April 25, Bali based exporters gathered for an afternoon meeting at the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) office to:
- Introduce the Bali exporters to the MAC staff and programs;
- Allow an opportunity for Bali exporters to raise and discuss related issues; and
- Discuss about MAC modalities to assist exporters in their activities and the trade in general.
Sixteen (16) exporters participated, and raised issues such as the possibility to re-create the Bali exporter association and to establish a working group for MAC Certified activities. Others asked the benefits of becoming MAC Certified, and how MAC programs could assist a better trade in Indonesia. The exporters also inquired if training for the exporters' staff could be conducted to achieve compliance with MAC Certification.
Visitors from Padang and South Sulawesi
In Indonesia, the news about the fishermen training on how to manage their resources and use nets to collect aquarium fish is spreading from one fishing community to the next and is leading to a growing interest in MAC Certification. This is being expressed in very direct ways. Several dozen representatives from both the government and the collectors groups of Padang of West Sumatra and Selayar District of South Sulawesi traveled to Bali to meet with MAC representatives and find out more about MAC programs. The delegation from these two districts also visited the sites and met the collectors groups in North Bali. MAC and its partners will start working in Padang, considered as one of the major collection areas for marine aquarium fishery. Many collectors fish around the Padang area and travel as far as to the Mentawai Islands to collect fish.
First Ever Documentation of "Roving" Collection Practices
In Indonesia, aquarium fish collectors rove for a variety of reasons, but it is fair to say that roughly ten (10) to fifteen (15) percent of all fishers (not just aquarium collectors) are mobile, following their seasonal prey wherever there is abundance. This practice is allowed by the Indonesian government. The country has an "open-access" policy on marine resources.
Fishing is traditionally, and inherently, a "roving" industry to begin with where fishermen follow schools of fish. The marine ornamental industry is generally more than an exception to this, where resources tend to be static around coral reefs. Collectors rove to enable them to fish in the most abundant areas where the highest value fish live. However, this common practice can lead to overfishing and reef destruction of the collection areas.
MAC has started to study the roving collection situation as part of the efforts to involve the full range of fishing activities into the transformation of the marine ornamental trade. Interviews with collectors and exporters have been taking place since 2005 and, according to the local industry operators, about eighty percent (80%) of all fish collected come from roving fishers. This represents a significant figure, both in terms of volume and value of the catch. Moreover, the roving collectors provide a larger range of caught species available to the market.
In order to have a better documentation of the situation, the first MAC trip with roving collectors was organized last April. MAC representative, Sudaryanto, joined a group of nineteen (19) roving collectors as they traveled from Bali to South Sulawesi. Covering a distance of over one thousand, six hundred and seventy (1,670) kilometers, this long journey started from Sumber Kima village in North Bali to reach the collection areas on the Karumpa reefs. These fringing reefs extend to several kilometers to the northwest of the Karumpa Islands, southeast of Taka Bonerate National Park, and are acknowledged by fishermen as an ideal area for fish collection.
During the thirteen (13) days of traveling, collectors consciously prepared their fishing gears. They use three different kinds of nets with different sizes of mesh: the fine mesh netting is made from mosquito nets; medium nets use a mesh of one fourth (¼) of an inch and one half (½) of an inch for large sizes.
Sudaryanto noticed that the group of collectors started to spend six (6) hours a day in the water, as soon as they arrived at the fishing site. The shallow water of the site provided fishermen a safe diving environment. They could collect in the seagrass beds of the inner reefs a majority of the popular common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) and other clownfish species. After six (6) days of collection, fishermen caught over fourteen thousand, two hundred and fifty-three (14,253) fish representing sixty-five (65) species.
This successful collection trip, as with the previous ones, has encouraged the roving collectors of Sumber Kima to travel twice a month to the Karumpa reef site, over many years. This practice is well known in Indonesia, and has led local authorities to provide collection permission to roving collectors prior to their journey. However, they sometimes need to move on to find new collection areas if they are no longer allowed to collect in a particular site.
This journey provided MAC with a better understanding of the roving collection practice. The collected data and the experience itself will encourage MAC to continue working with those communities to enhance a sustainable management of the reefs using best practices.
PHILIPPINES UPDATE
The Launch of the "Identity Preservation and Traceability" System
On May 29, 2006, MAC and its partners (the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Academy for Educational Development (AED), the Spanish software company Soluziona and the computer industry giant Microsoft Corporation) hosted in Cebu a technical demonstration of the "Identity Preservation and Traceability" system.
This initiative, which promotes "digital inclusion in the marine aquarium fishery", is an unprecedented partnership that seeks better returns on investments for fishermen earning a living out of collection of tropical fish, invertebrates and other organisms. The system consists of rich information databases, which facilitate complete, on-line, real time, 'end to end' transactions in the marine aquarium trade.
Orders can be placed and fulfilled between retailers, importers, exporters and collector- coordinators using a combination of desktop, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and streaming short messages (SMS) via cell phone.
The traceability system significantly strengthens conservation efforts as it provides statistics on the size, characteristics and mortality rates of marine organisms passing through the global industry value chain. Feedback from collector-coordinators and exporters suggests that the traceability system may also help reduce the paper-based documentation requirements for MAC Certification. At this event, MAC also received a software grant of thirty two thousand US dollars (USD 32,000) from Microsoft Corporation to support the system.
The use of this digital device represents a significant milestone in natural resources management as the pilot initiative promotes a more responsible and sustainable marine aquarium industry.
PACIFIC UPDATE
Solomon Islands Livelihood Program
The World Fish Centre (WFC) project "Creating Rural Livelihoods in the Solomon Islands Using Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture and Trade of Marine Ornamentals" is well underway. MAC involvement is ramping up with its participation in the Post-Larval Workshop held at the project site in Gizo, Western Province, Solomon Islands. At the workshop, there were twenty-six (26) participants from eight (8) communities around Gizo Island, with among them six (6) women. They were taught post-larval fish and invertebrate collection and culture techniques in addition to the MAC best practice techniques for collection, handling and transport. MAC provided major input to the practical sessions when the best-practice techniques were demonstrated.
MAC and its project partners (WWF and WFC) will continue providing technical support to communities to ensure that farmers are adequately trained in the second year of this program, starting in July 2006. The next step for MAC will be to introduce the concept of the Collection Area Management Plan (CAMP) and the Mariculture Area Management Plan and train communities to develop and implement these plans.
MAC IN THE NEWS
"Velkommen Til Selskapsdyrkonferansen 2006 'Dyrehold I Fokus'". Pet Scandinavia. N°1. 2006: 13. [In Swedish]
"Aquarium Fishery Orientation Set". Bohol Times. February 26, 2006.
"Healthy Reefs, Healthy Fish, Healthy Hobby". Pr. Jean M. Jaubert (MAC advertisement). Tropical Fish Hobbyist. April 2006: 13.
"MAC Certified Organisms Available From More Countries". Paul Holthus and Nathalie Gamain. Fish 'N' Chips (online). April 2006. http://www.marinefiends.com/current.html.
"Indonesische Exporteure Unterstützen MAC Zertifizierung". Gayatri Reksodihardjo-Lilley and Ron Lilley. Koralle. N°38. April-May 2006: 8. [In German]
"MAC Trains Fishers In Sustainable Livelihood Bohol". Jingjing Mariño-Farrarons. Sunday Post. April 9, 2006: B14.
"On Marine Aquarium Trade". Jingjing Mariño-Farrarons. Bohol Times. April 9, 2006: 6.
"Marine Aquarium Trade Helps Camotes Fishers". Joefel Ortega Banzon. The Freeman. April 10, 2006: 23.
"French Shop Chain Aims For MAC Certification". Matt Clarke. Practical Fishkeeping (online). April 11, 2006. http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/p ... p?news=903.
"NGO Boosts Fishermen's Livelihood". Cebu Daily News. April 23, 2006: 26.
"The Collectors". Sunstar Cebu, Billboard Focus. April 23, 2006: B16.
"Reef Encounters: Saltwater Aquariums Are Marvels On Every Scale". Robert Humphries. Land's End Catalog. Summer 2006: 52-53.
"The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) Brings 'From Reef To Retail' Marine Ornamental Species To The Trade And Hobby". Shiva Jagger. Aquarama Magazine. May 2006. Issue 6: 21-22.
"MAC Certified Cultured Marine Ornamentals Now Available". Paul Holthus and Nathalie Gamain. Pets International Magazine. Volume 18. N°3. May 2006: 120.
"Villagers Learn To Create New Marine Livelihoods". Arthur Wate. Solomon Star News (online). May 10, 2006. http://www.solomonstarnews.com/drupal-4 ... /view/8375.
"Digital Traceability Project Seen To Safeguard Aquatic Resources". Noreen Napoles. The Freeman. May 30, 2006: 6.
"Groups To Help Market Aquarium Fish Globally". Sunstar. May 30, 2006: A17.
"Program To Raise Earnings Of Aquarium Fish Collectors". Irene R Sino Cruz. Cebu Daily News. May 30, 2006: 25.
"Weltpremiere: Erste MAC-Zertifizierte Farmgezogene Wirbellose". Paul Holthus and Nathalie Gamain. Koralle. N°39. June-July 2006: 11. [In German]
"Semaine Monégasque Du Développement Durable Du Lundi 5 Au Dimanche 11 Juin 2006: Monaco Se Mobilise!". Direction du Tourisme de Monaco (online). June 2006. http://www.monaco-tourisme.com/357/wwwD ... nacology06. [In French]
"Collectors Of Marine Ornamentals In Indonesia". Gayatri Reksodihardjo-Lilley and Ron Lilley. Tropical Fish Hobbyist. June 2006: 82-84.
"Illegal Fishing Killing Central Visayas Marine Life". Jolene R. Bulambot. Philippine Daily Inquirer. June 4, 2006: A21
"Want To Know Where Your Pet Fish Was Caught?". Roman F. Floresca. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business Section. June 4, 2006: B-4.
"Monacology 2006: Une Semaine Fun Et Écologique". Le Petit Journal Monaco (online). June 5, 2006. http://www.lepetitjournal.com/content/view/6245/1257/. [In French]
"8 Juin 2006 - Journée Mondiale De L'Océan: Pour L'avenir De La Planète Bleue, Chaque Geste Compte". Monaco Net (online). June 8, 2006. http://www.monaco.net/cms/article.php3?id_article=247. [In French]
"Comme Un Poisson Dans L'Eau". Tunza: Océans et Côtes (online). Volume 3. N°4: 21. http://www.ourplanet.com/tunza/issue030 ... mplete.pdf. [In French]
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 7-10: Aquaria China'06 (Guangzhou, China).
September 17-19: Glee Petindex 2006 (Birmingham, UK).
September 19-20: Norwegian Companion Animal Conference (Oslo, Norway).
September 19-20: Marine Aquarium Conference of North America - MACNA (Houston, TX. USA).
September 22-24: Annual Conference of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association - AZA (Tampa, FL. USA).
October 6-8: 40th Annual Backer Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show (Chicago, IL. USA).
International Certification for the Quality and Sustainability of Marine Aquarium Organisms . from Reef to Retail
MAC News 2nd Quarter 2006
Director's Note
Why is there a need for international standards and certification for the marine aquarium trade?
Consider what governments around the world are doing and saying about marine ornamentals' collection and commerce:
· United States (US): The US Coral Reef Task Force adopted a major new resolution addressing the collection of marine ornamentals using cyanide and other poisons. The US government is investigating how to better document the level of ornamental fish imports, with initial results suggesting the trade is two times larger than estimated.
In 2005, the US House Bill 3469 sought to prohibit the importation of any coral reef species that were not collected in accordance with a qualified scientifically-based management plan.
In 2004, the US Commission on Ocean Policy report recommended to the President and the Congress regulations requiring sustainable collection of imported reef species and controls to prevent the release of non-native species.
· Europe: The European Union (EU) continues to suspend from trade the Indonesian supply of several coral species and is considering new monitoring and reporting requirements for many heavily traded fish species.
In April 2006, the EU suspended the import of most species of giant clam from many Asia-Pacific export countries and suspended the import of many species of coral from Indonesia, as well as some species of coral from Tonga and the Solomon Islands.
· Philippines: Many local governments, which have responsibility for aquarium fisheries, have banned harvesting of marine ornamentals or have banned the use of compressors.
· Indonesia: The government decreased the CITES quota for coral export species in 2002 and again for some additional species in 2005.
· Fiji: The government revised the CITES quota for coral exports in recent years.
· United Nations (UN): The synthesis report of the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment states: "Coral reefs are at high risk from many kinds of human activity, including destructive fishing (for example: use of cyanide to stun and capture fish.), collecting for the marine ornamental trade,."
Responsible industry operators may want to distinguish themselves as those who use best practices and support the management of marine ornamentals stocks and the conservation of coral reefs for sustainable use. MAC Certification provides the means to do so.
COMMUNICATIONS and OUTREACH
Special Interzoo Activities
At Interzoo, the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) organized gatherings on MAC Certification, with the support of Aquarium Systems and the Interzoo organizer- Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe (ZZF) Deutschlands e.V. The seminar on the "Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) Certification: Quality Marine Ornamentals from Sustainable, Responsible Sources" was designed for companies which had signed the MAC 'Statement of Commitment and Support' and for the ones that were actively interested in understanding more about MAC Certification. The seminar attracted interest from a range of companies.
A meeting of the "Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) International Certified Industry Group Forum" brought together MAC Certified companies from around the world (Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore and the UK) that were present at Interzoo. This meeting provided these Certified companies the chance to meet with each other, some for the first time, and to raise issues, opportunities and ideas on areas for improvement in MAC Certification and increasing the interaction among MAC Certified companies.
MAC presence at Interzoo also provided the opportunity for MAC to meet press representatives with whom MAC has developed collaboration in Europe and the USA.
The MAC Public Aquarium Declaration of Support Available in French
Public aquariums, museums and zoos are one of the important stakeholders in the work to ensure that the marine ornamentals trade is sustainable and responsible. In response to the interest expressed by public aquariums to improve their support for MAC Certification, the 'MAC Public Aquarium Declaration of Support' was developed. Several institutions have already signed it, as the Zoological Society of London has recently done.
This form is now available in French for institutions to state publicly their support toward MAC and its programs. To receive a copy of this form, please contact Nathalie Gamain at: [email protected].
EUROPEAN UPDATE
The First MAC Exhibit at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco
As part of the World Ocean Day's celebration (June 8), the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco focused its special activities on the sustainable management of the reefs through a responsible marine ornamental trade and responsible practices. Among the speakers, MAC gave a presentation about the transformation of the marine ornamental trade. The audience was particularly interested by the projection of the movie about "Transforming the Aquarium Trade with the Industry for Ecological Sustainability" in Indonesia, made in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indonesia.
The Oceanographic Museum has always been dedicated to conservation, education and research programs, in particular about corals, with its first living reef exhibit inaugurated in 1989. Encouraging MAC and its programs, the Museum provided MAC the opportunity to launch its first exhibit on June 8 (World Ocean Day). Through this exhibit, visitors can learn more about the marine ornamental trade and the progress MAC, with the rest of the industry, is making to reach a sustainable management of the reefs through best practices and a responsible trade. It is composed of six (6) large panels. This exhibit has been made possible through the generous support of one of the Museum's print companies, MS2.
MAC Celebrates the Week of the Environment in Monaco
From June 5th to June 11th, Monaco celebrated the week of the Sustainable Management and of the Environment, with the World Ocean Day on June 8.
The non governmental organization, Act for Nature, with its local partner, the Stars N Bars, organized several activities on the Monaco harbor. In collaboration with the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, and the association Acroporis, MAC participated in the booth dedicated to the "ocean's sustainable management". The week's events raised the awareness of the school groups and other visitors about the ocean issues, with a focus on coral reefs, through MAC, Acroporis and the Oceanographic Museum presentations. As members of the World Ocean Network, the three organizations distributed the World Ocean Passport to the participants as well.
NORTH AMERICA UPDATE
Increasing Supply of MAC Certified Organisms Imported to North America
North American MAC Certified importers are receiving a greater variety of MAC Certified organisms than ever before. As the number of Certified supply lines increases, more and often highly desirable species are becoming available. For the first time, species such as Emperor Angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator) and Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) are now being offered for sale to hobbyists as MAC Certified. As of July 2006, MAC Certified fish are available at, or have been ordered by, all MAC Certified retailers in the US.
MAC Presence at North American Pet Industry Trade Shows
John Brandt, North America Director, attended two major trade shows with the MAC exhibit booth. Many retailers showed interest in becoming MAC Certified at the Global Pet Expo in San Diego, CA (March 23-25) and at the Backer Spring Trade Show in Atlantic City, NJ (April 7-9).
International Marine Aquarium Conference (IMAC) and MAC
MAC Communications Director, Nathalie Gamain, and North America Director, John Brandt, attended the International Marine Aquarium Conference (IMAC) in Chicago, IL (April 28-30). IMAC is an annual three-day conference offering lectures, workshops and special events. Many retailers visited the MAC exhibit booth to express their interest in becoming MAC Certified.
MAC at the United States Coral Reef Task Force Meeting
The United States Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) held its 15th meeting in Washington, DC on May 4th. The MAC North America Director was in attendance with the MAC exhibit booth. The Task Force adopted a significant new resolution addressing the collection of marine ornamentals using cyanide and other poisons. This resolution sets forth actions designed to identify and develop a usable detection test for cyanide in fishes and also for the development of improved methods of enforcing laws against the use of poisons.
Reports and summaries from the meeting are available at: http://www.coralreef.gov/taskforce/meetings/meet8.html. This webpage also includes the new resolution and a Public Comment by MAC to the Task Force.
INDONESIA UPDATE
Meeting of Bali-Based Exporters
On April 25, Bali based exporters gathered for an afternoon meeting at the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) office to:
- Introduce the Bali exporters to the MAC staff and programs;
- Allow an opportunity for Bali exporters to raise and discuss related issues; and
- Discuss about MAC modalities to assist exporters in their activities and the trade in general.
Sixteen (16) exporters participated, and raised issues such as the possibility to re-create the Bali exporter association and to establish a working group for MAC Certified activities. Others asked the benefits of becoming MAC Certified, and how MAC programs could assist a better trade in Indonesia. The exporters also inquired if training for the exporters' staff could be conducted to achieve compliance with MAC Certification.
Visitors from Padang and South Sulawesi
In Indonesia, the news about the fishermen training on how to manage their resources and use nets to collect aquarium fish is spreading from one fishing community to the next and is leading to a growing interest in MAC Certification. This is being expressed in very direct ways. Several dozen representatives from both the government and the collectors groups of Padang of West Sumatra and Selayar District of South Sulawesi traveled to Bali to meet with MAC representatives and find out more about MAC programs. The delegation from these two districts also visited the sites and met the collectors groups in North Bali. MAC and its partners will start working in Padang, considered as one of the major collection areas for marine aquarium fishery. Many collectors fish around the Padang area and travel as far as to the Mentawai Islands to collect fish.
First Ever Documentation of "Roving" Collection Practices
In Indonesia, aquarium fish collectors rove for a variety of reasons, but it is fair to say that roughly ten (10) to fifteen (15) percent of all fishers (not just aquarium collectors) are mobile, following their seasonal prey wherever there is abundance. This practice is allowed by the Indonesian government. The country has an "open-access" policy on marine resources.
Fishing is traditionally, and inherently, a "roving" industry to begin with where fishermen follow schools of fish. The marine ornamental industry is generally more than an exception to this, where resources tend to be static around coral reefs. Collectors rove to enable them to fish in the most abundant areas where the highest value fish live. However, this common practice can lead to overfishing and reef destruction of the collection areas.
MAC has started to study the roving collection situation as part of the efforts to involve the full range of fishing activities into the transformation of the marine ornamental trade. Interviews with collectors and exporters have been taking place since 2005 and, according to the local industry operators, about eighty percent (80%) of all fish collected come from roving fishers. This represents a significant figure, both in terms of volume and value of the catch. Moreover, the roving collectors provide a larger range of caught species available to the market.
In order to have a better documentation of the situation, the first MAC trip with roving collectors was organized last April. MAC representative, Sudaryanto, joined a group of nineteen (19) roving collectors as they traveled from Bali to South Sulawesi. Covering a distance of over one thousand, six hundred and seventy (1,670) kilometers, this long journey started from Sumber Kima village in North Bali to reach the collection areas on the Karumpa reefs. These fringing reefs extend to several kilometers to the northwest of the Karumpa Islands, southeast of Taka Bonerate National Park, and are acknowledged by fishermen as an ideal area for fish collection.
During the thirteen (13) days of traveling, collectors consciously prepared their fishing gears. They use three different kinds of nets with different sizes of mesh: the fine mesh netting is made from mosquito nets; medium nets use a mesh of one fourth (¼) of an inch and one half (½) of an inch for large sizes.
Sudaryanto noticed that the group of collectors started to spend six (6) hours a day in the water, as soon as they arrived at the fishing site. The shallow water of the site provided fishermen a safe diving environment. They could collect in the seagrass beds of the inner reefs a majority of the popular common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) and other clownfish species. After six (6) days of collection, fishermen caught over fourteen thousand, two hundred and fifty-three (14,253) fish representing sixty-five (65) species.
This successful collection trip, as with the previous ones, has encouraged the roving collectors of Sumber Kima to travel twice a month to the Karumpa reef site, over many years. This practice is well known in Indonesia, and has led local authorities to provide collection permission to roving collectors prior to their journey. However, they sometimes need to move on to find new collection areas if they are no longer allowed to collect in a particular site.
This journey provided MAC with a better understanding of the roving collection practice. The collected data and the experience itself will encourage MAC to continue working with those communities to enhance a sustainable management of the reefs using best practices.
PHILIPPINES UPDATE
The Launch of the "Identity Preservation and Traceability" System
On May 29, 2006, MAC and its partners (the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Academy for Educational Development (AED), the Spanish software company Soluziona and the computer industry giant Microsoft Corporation) hosted in Cebu a technical demonstration of the "Identity Preservation and Traceability" system.
This initiative, which promotes "digital inclusion in the marine aquarium fishery", is an unprecedented partnership that seeks better returns on investments for fishermen earning a living out of collection of tropical fish, invertebrates and other organisms. The system consists of rich information databases, which facilitate complete, on-line, real time, 'end to end' transactions in the marine aquarium trade.
Orders can be placed and fulfilled between retailers, importers, exporters and collector- coordinators using a combination of desktop, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and streaming short messages (SMS) via cell phone.
The traceability system significantly strengthens conservation efforts as it provides statistics on the size, characteristics and mortality rates of marine organisms passing through the global industry value chain. Feedback from collector-coordinators and exporters suggests that the traceability system may also help reduce the paper-based documentation requirements for MAC Certification. At this event, MAC also received a software grant of thirty two thousand US dollars (USD 32,000) from Microsoft Corporation to support the system.
The use of this digital device represents a significant milestone in natural resources management as the pilot initiative promotes a more responsible and sustainable marine aquarium industry.
PACIFIC UPDATE
Solomon Islands Livelihood Program
The World Fish Centre (WFC) project "Creating Rural Livelihoods in the Solomon Islands Using Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture and Trade of Marine Ornamentals" is well underway. MAC involvement is ramping up with its participation in the Post-Larval Workshop held at the project site in Gizo, Western Province, Solomon Islands. At the workshop, there were twenty-six (26) participants from eight (8) communities around Gizo Island, with among them six (6) women. They were taught post-larval fish and invertebrate collection and culture techniques in addition to the MAC best practice techniques for collection, handling and transport. MAC provided major input to the practical sessions when the best-practice techniques were demonstrated.
MAC and its project partners (WWF and WFC) will continue providing technical support to communities to ensure that farmers are adequately trained in the second year of this program, starting in July 2006. The next step for MAC will be to introduce the concept of the Collection Area Management Plan (CAMP) and the Mariculture Area Management Plan and train communities to develop and implement these plans.
MAC IN THE NEWS
"Velkommen Til Selskapsdyrkonferansen 2006 'Dyrehold I Fokus'". Pet Scandinavia. N°1. 2006: 13. [In Swedish]
"Aquarium Fishery Orientation Set". Bohol Times. February 26, 2006.
"Healthy Reefs, Healthy Fish, Healthy Hobby". Pr. Jean M. Jaubert (MAC advertisement). Tropical Fish Hobbyist. April 2006: 13.
"MAC Certified Organisms Available From More Countries". Paul Holthus and Nathalie Gamain. Fish 'N' Chips (online). April 2006. http://www.marinefiends.com/current.html.
"Indonesische Exporteure Unterstützen MAC Zertifizierung". Gayatri Reksodihardjo-Lilley and Ron Lilley. Koralle. N°38. April-May 2006: 8. [In German]
"MAC Trains Fishers In Sustainable Livelihood Bohol". Jingjing Mariño-Farrarons. Sunday Post. April 9, 2006: B14.
"On Marine Aquarium Trade". Jingjing Mariño-Farrarons. Bohol Times. April 9, 2006: 6.
"Marine Aquarium Trade Helps Camotes Fishers". Joefel Ortega Banzon. The Freeman. April 10, 2006: 23.
"French Shop Chain Aims For MAC Certification". Matt Clarke. Practical Fishkeeping (online). April 11, 2006. http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/p ... p?news=903.
"NGO Boosts Fishermen's Livelihood". Cebu Daily News. April 23, 2006: 26.
"The Collectors". Sunstar Cebu, Billboard Focus. April 23, 2006: B16.
"Reef Encounters: Saltwater Aquariums Are Marvels On Every Scale". Robert Humphries. Land's End Catalog. Summer 2006: 52-53.
"The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) Brings 'From Reef To Retail' Marine Ornamental Species To The Trade And Hobby". Shiva Jagger. Aquarama Magazine. May 2006. Issue 6: 21-22.
"MAC Certified Cultured Marine Ornamentals Now Available". Paul Holthus and Nathalie Gamain. Pets International Magazine. Volume 18. N°3. May 2006: 120.
"Villagers Learn To Create New Marine Livelihoods". Arthur Wate. Solomon Star News (online). May 10, 2006. http://www.solomonstarnews.com/drupal-4 ... /view/8375.
"Digital Traceability Project Seen To Safeguard Aquatic Resources". Noreen Napoles. The Freeman. May 30, 2006: 6.
"Groups To Help Market Aquarium Fish Globally". Sunstar. May 30, 2006: A17.
"Program To Raise Earnings Of Aquarium Fish Collectors". Irene R Sino Cruz. Cebu Daily News. May 30, 2006: 25.
"Weltpremiere: Erste MAC-Zertifizierte Farmgezogene Wirbellose". Paul Holthus and Nathalie Gamain. Koralle. N°39. June-July 2006: 11. [In German]
"Semaine Monégasque Du Développement Durable Du Lundi 5 Au Dimanche 11 Juin 2006: Monaco Se Mobilise!". Direction du Tourisme de Monaco (online). June 2006. http://www.monaco-tourisme.com/357/wwwD ... nacology06. [In French]
"Collectors Of Marine Ornamentals In Indonesia". Gayatri Reksodihardjo-Lilley and Ron Lilley. Tropical Fish Hobbyist. June 2006: 82-84.
"Illegal Fishing Killing Central Visayas Marine Life". Jolene R. Bulambot. Philippine Daily Inquirer. June 4, 2006: A21
"Want To Know Where Your Pet Fish Was Caught?". Roman F. Floresca. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business Section. June 4, 2006: B-4.
"Monacology 2006: Une Semaine Fun Et Écologique". Le Petit Journal Monaco (online). June 5, 2006. http://www.lepetitjournal.com/content/view/6245/1257/. [In French]
"8 Juin 2006 - Journée Mondiale De L'Océan: Pour L'avenir De La Planète Bleue, Chaque Geste Compte". Monaco Net (online). June 8, 2006. http://www.monaco.net/cms/article.php3?id_article=247. [In French]
"Comme Un Poisson Dans L'Eau". Tunza: Océans et Côtes (online). Volume 3. N°4: 21. http://www.ourplanet.com/tunza/issue030 ... mplete.pdf. [In French]
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 7-10: Aquaria China'06 (Guangzhou, China).
September 17-19: Glee Petindex 2006 (Birmingham, UK).
September 19-20: Norwegian Companion Animal Conference (Oslo, Norway).
September 19-20: Marine Aquarium Conference of North America - MACNA (Houston, TX. USA).
September 22-24: Annual Conference of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association - AZA (Tampa, FL. USA).
October 6-8: 40th Annual Backer Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show (Chicago, IL. USA).
That's a clear voilation of MAC's corperate trademark 
